Sciatica in Old Jamestown, MO. If you have ever known the pain associated with sciatica, you know how difficult it is to capture in words the ferocity of pain that accompanies it and just how disabling it can become. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you suffer from sciatica, or a condition that affects the sciatic nerve, get the care you need right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a network of fifteen physical therapy treatment locations positioned near Old Jamestown, MO and throughout Missouri. Our clinics specializing in movement health and locally owned and operated are dedicated to providing you with sound, individualized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other conditions near Old Jamestown, MO. Speak to a physical therapist in the Old Jamestown area about sciatica care for you today or schedule an appointment online now.

What You Should Know About Sciatica

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which happens to be the most extensive nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates from the nerve roots in the low end of the spine, then from the pelvis it reaches back to each buttock and travels down and through the back of each leg. Sciatica can be distinguished from general low back pain or other conditions because the pain from sciatica radiates from this precise nerve path.

The term sciatica is not, in itself, a diagnosis, as many people believe. In fact, sciatica is only a word used to describe a set of symptoms related to the sciatic nerve that surface when an existing medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. Sciatica symptoms vary wildly, but often consist of pain sensations, weakness, numbness, or tingling that can extend from the buttock all the way down the leg. While low back pain in constrained to the immediate area around the back (though other conditions affecting the low back and lead to tightness, imbalance, and overcompensation that causes additional physical problems), you may find that your sciatica symptoms exist down into the glute area, legs, and feet and heels.

Am I Suffering from Sciatica?

The type and severity of sciatica symptoms vary from case to case. The presentation of your sciatica depends on where the damage or pressure is along the nerve root. Sciatica typically includes symptoms like pain, numbness, weakness, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The distinguishing marker of sciatica is pain that follows the path of the sciatic nerve from the low spine to the pelvis, buttocks, and legs. Typically, a patient with sciatica will experience symptoms only on one side — either down the right buttock and leg or the left buttock and leg. However, it is possible for a patient to experience sciatic pain and symptoms on both sides. This simply depends on the position of the compression or pinching of the nerve.

Pain is such a significant component of the sciatica experience for Old Jamestown, MO sciatica sufferers. Sciatica pain can range from:

• Sharp
• Jolting
• Shooting
• Burning
• Electric
• Stabbing
• Tingling

If debilitating sciatica pain is degrading your quality of life, reach out to a medical professional with spine health expertise immediately. The physical and occupational therapists of Axes Physical Therapy near Old Jamestown, MO will guide you on your journey to a full recovery and craft a treatment plan to return you to the life you want to live.

What Causes Sciatica?

Most instances of sciatica are caused, in one way or another, by some form of irritation to or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. These cases are nearly always successfully repaired with physical therapy in the Old Jamestown area targeted specifically to the source of nerve inflammation, or may even resolve on their own as time passes and you practice safe exercise and home care. Other cases, when the sciatica is a result of direct compression of the sciatic nerve, may call for a more invasive treatment such as surgery.

Often, people with sciatica are not aware of what caused their condition. You may have sustained trauma or developed nerve irritation over time. Whatever the case may be, our Old Jamestown, MO area physical therapists are equipped to provide you with accessible, epirically-supported restorative care.

Common Reasons for Sciatica

• Herniated disc
• Slipped disc
• Bone spur
• Spinal stenosis
• Piriformis syndrome
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spondylolisthesis
• Pregnancy
• Vertebral fracture

Risk Factors for Sciatica near Old Jamestown, MO

Certain activities and conditions could put you at a higher risk of developing painful, restrictive, debilitating conditions like sciatica. You are more likely to suffer from sciatica based on the following risk factors:

• Age. As we age, the tissues in our bodies undergo natural wear and tear and the bone and soft tissue in joints including the spine can wear away and increase your risk of sciatica.
• Weight. The more weight on your body, the harder your back muscles have to work, and the more pressure the tissue in your spine and pelvic joints face.
• Other medical conditions. Diabetic patients are suseptable to nerve damage, and conditions like osteoarthritis can cause pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
• Occupation/Daily activities. Occupations where you are required to lift heavy loads, perform frequent bending and twisting motions, or drive for long periods of time (which shakes the body through the vibrations of the vehicle on the road) can cause sciatica.
• Lifestyle. Lifestyle activities like a “couch potato” daily routine or smoking can lead to inflammation and weakness.

What Sciatica Treatment Options Do I Have in Old Jamestown, MO?

There are numerous treatments that are often used for sciatica patients. Different treatment solutions, which run the gamnut from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical operations, vary in proven efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica all recognize that being physically active is an essential component of managing and treating sciatica. This directly contradicts previous advice to confine patients to bed rest, which we now know is not effective in addressing disabiity or pain in patients.

Remember that it is your responsibility to consult with a licensed medical professional prior to making any decisions about your own medical care. Our Old Jamestown, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy have dedicated our careers providing Old Jamestown, MO with access to healthcare that maximizes movement health and quality of life. In your case, that means evaluating your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key factors. Your Axes medical professional specializing in movement health in Old Jamestown, MO will provide a complimentary screening before treating you so that we can truly understand your condition and formulate a personalized treatment plan for you.

In addition to specializing in the Old Jamestown, MO treatment of sciatica, our skilled Old Jamestown area practitioners will deliver the care you need. We apply our knowledge and experience working with kinesiology and the musculoskeletal system toward providing people like you in Old Jamestown, MO with many forms of care, including the following

• Neck Pain Treatment
• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation

Treatments Options for Sciatica in Old Jamestown, MO

The medical community and especially medical professionals specializing in spine health and neurology have found the following methods to be helpful in the treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your primary care doctor, Axes Physical Therapy doctor in Old Jamestown, MO, and any other necessary medical professionals will collaborate to provide you with the sciatica care that is right for you.

• Medications. There is some disagreement surrounding which drugs are effective for treating sciatica, but as with any other drug, pharmaceuticals come with the risk of side effects, which can be severe. Largely used in reducing the experience of sciatica symptoms, some drugs that can be used for sciatca patients include:
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Muscle relaxers
  • Antidepressants
  • Corticosteroids
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Opiod pain medications
• Physical therapy. Physical therapy is a powerful sciatica care method that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Physical therapy employs a number of treatment methods that address the body as a whole and repair the root cause of your sciatica pain. With the help of a qualified Old Jamestown, MO physical therapist and participating in your care can allow you to obtain freedom from pain, improve your mobility, become physically healthier, halt or prevent permanent damage and disability, and prevent future injuries or return of your sciatica. Your Old Jamestown, MO physical therapist will provide care that works to improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and release pressure.
• Injections. For some patients with sciatica, a medical provider might recommend an injection or series of injections to the affected area. Common injection treatments for sciata are nerve root blocks, which are used to inject the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the root of the irritated nerve, or epidural injections, which deposit the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space enveloping the nerve. Injections in Old Jamestown, MO area sciatica patients are often used to temporarily supress nerve inflammation for the purposes of pain relief and potentially preserve the ability to function. The effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
• Surgery. Due to its risk and inherent invasive nature, surgery is usually reserved for patients with the most severe symptoms or those who have not responded well to more conservative approaches. There are different surgical procedures that can be used to address sciatic, including a microdiscectomy to remove a herniated disc or a laminectomy where the surgeon removes part of the vertebral bones to remove direct pressure on your sicatic nerve. For best chances of success, surgery should be proceeded and followed by pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You may be a candidate for surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you have loss of bowel or bladder control
  • imaging shows that you have bone spurs, known as spinal stenosis, pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • you have not experienced or are no longer experiencing meaningful relief or healing with other treatments

Benefits of Old Jamestown, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

One of the best things you can do for your sciatica is to move. Keeping an active lifestyle, stretching, and practicing exercises designed to help address sciatica are highly effective and critical parts of any Old Jamestown, MO sciatica treatment plan.

The physical therapy we offer to sciatica patients in the Old Jamestown, MO area reflects the importance of movement. Your Axes physical therapist near Old Jamestown, MO will guide you in activities and exercises that strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and heal the source of your sciatica.

The benefits of physical therapy for someone with sciatica include the following:

• Improve functional movement
• Relieve sciatic nerve pain
• Reduce muscle spasms
• Restore function of the lumbar spine and the sacroiliac joint
• Improve mobility of the lower body
• Foster a better healing environment in the lower back
• Restore overall balance and proper posture in the back and legs
• Promote neurologic adaptations to reduce the perception of pain
• Prevent future pain flareups and permanent nerve damage
• Foster confidence in your ability to move pain-free

Your dedicated Old Jamestown, MO physical therapist will design a plan incorporating a variety of different treatment modalities in your sciatica treatment plan, such as:

• Hot and cold therapies
• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stiumlation
• Ultrasound
• Flexbiliby and strength exercises
• Joint manipulation
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Dry needling
• Education and training for posure, safe technique, and activity modifications

Trust your movement health care team at Axes Physical Therapy to identify the sciatica treatment modalities you would benefit from most. Your Old Jamestown, MO physical therapist will work together with your larger healthcare team to help you manage your sciatica symptoms, alleviate the underlying irritation of your sciatic nerve, and reclaim the strength, flexibility, and full range of motion of a healthy individual. Speak to a medical provider in Old Jamestown, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Old Jamestown, MO Now

When the harrowing pain and alarming limitations of sciatica prevent you from doing the activities that are important to you, get quality care for your sciatica right away. Receiving prompt and strategic physical therapy for your sciatica in the Old Jamestown, MO area can relieve your pain and return you to optimal mobility.

Access convenient, effective sciatica treatment from Axes Physical Therapy near Old Jamestown, MO today. Our fifteen Missouri physical therapy locations make it possible for you to get quality care. Find the location nearest you or request an appointment online right now.